A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries

Sep 2017: Iceland

2 - The Golden Circle

Shortly after visiting
Landeyjahöfn Beach, we turned inland to pick up the 'Golden Circle'
tourist route from Reykjavik and head towards our second night-stop,
Hotel Gullfoss. The tour continued the following day by first
viewing the famous waterfall that gave its name to our hotel, then
taking in some geothermal action at Geysir and strolling between two
continents - or at least their respective tectonic plates - at
Thingvellir (Icelandic: Þingvellir).

LEFT: Heading
inland for the Hotel Gullfoss

RIGHT: Viewing the
falls after breakfast the following day

BELOW:
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Geysir, the place that gave
us the English word 'geyser'. The geothermal activity
reminded me of previous visits to Yellowstone National Park
in the USA.

BELOW:
Thingvellir National Park lies about 40km northeast of
Reykjavik and is another essential stop on the popular
'Golden Circle' route. It lies at the meeting point of the
North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The final photo
shows the footpath between the two plates, which are moving
apart at a rate of around one inch per year. The rocks to
the left are (geologically speaking) part of North America,
while those on the right are European. Walking here gave a
whole new meaning to the term 'intercontinental'!